A tough economy, increasing consumer savvy, and the growing desire to save money are the main factors that have contributed to the trend of more people switching from monthly contract cell phone plans to prepaid cell phones.
Many younger cell phone users are starting with prepaid, which means that since they are early adopters, they may use prepaid phones for the rest of their lives. That’s a long time. You think the big four wireless companies don’t see this? Think again. With plans like Boost Mobile’s aggressive Unlimited Monthly $50 plan and Verizon’s “competing” plan, companies are actively trying to court the prepaid user.
This is a really good thing because more choice and more options is always a good thing for the market. We really are getting close to a situation where a cell phone user can almost find a cell phone plan that is specifically catered to them. Almost.
The truth is that prepaid phone plans are not for everyone. People who use their phones for web surfing, texting, or talk a lot, may not save any money by switching to a prepaid service. And Boost Mobile’s $50 plan still costs $50, which is not incredibly cheap by cell phone standards. By smartphone standards, yes, but not by normal cell phone standards. For many, though, it may be a good deal.
The point I’m trying to make is that you need to know your usage habits and find the plan–prepaid or monthly contract–that works best for you. The best way to do this is to take out your cell phone bills for the past six months (you may be able to find them at your online account) and look at how much talk time you used and how many text messages you sent and received.
You may be surprised at how consistent the numbers are month to month. This will give you a good idea of just what you need out of your cell phone. Then, if you want to look at prepaid phone plans, one good place to start is with Tracfone. Definitely look at Tracfone’s Free Double Minutes for Life option. This may be one of your best prepaid options.
Another is Boost Mobile, which I mentioned above. This is mostly aimed at young, very social users, but can be effective for older individuals depending on where you are geographically.
Related posts:
